We have now come to the end of the Guardian's formal four-year integrated development project in the Ugandan rural community of Katine.

Given the recognition that development is a long-term process and cannot fit neatly into any timeframe, a review of the project has led to a commitment to maintain support for the community until the end of 2013.

It has also been agreed to investigate the possibility of setting up a long-term development fund in partnership with the community so that there are resources to call on in times of emergency.

When the Guardian launched the project in October 2007, in partnership with NGO Amref and Barclays, we committed to demonstrate on a dedicated website the complexities that arise when trying to transform an impoverished African community.

A combination of donations from Guardian readers, match-funded by Barclays, raised more than £3m to pay for the project that has taken a holistic approach to development, focusing on education, health, water and sanitation, farming methods and new income-generating opportunities, together with community empowerment to increase engagement in local governance to achieve sustainability.

Amref's work has been subjected to unprecedented scrutiny by journalists and the public. Every aspect of its work has been reported and its budgets and expenditure published and often debated online.

While it is no longer feasible to commit the same resources to reporting on the project, the Guardian has a commitment to regularly visit Katine to update readers.

An independent evaluator, who has been monitoring the project, completed a final report in November 2011, shortly after the completion of the four-year term. It focuses on technical achievements, the formation of sustainable community groups and the progress of activities against both objectives and outcomes.

The consultant talked to a range of stakeholders and community members in Katine. Observational visits, one-to-one meetings, both informal and formal discussions at district, sub–county and village level and focus group interviews were held.

The key findings were that achievements against outcome indicators show that in every case but two (increasing family planning, and births attended by a skilled attendant), the project reached the target, and, in 18 of the 33 indicators for health, education, water and livelihoods, the target was exceeded.

Further investigation of the outcomes against the relevant Millennium development goals and Ugandan national targets shows a similar picture: 16 of the 23 targets were exceeded.

The purpose of the community empowerment component was to strengthen local governance using a rights–based approach, and it was found that all committees in local government had been trained and strengthened to operate effectively, and all have submitted plans to the district authorities. This component is the linchpin for sustainability.

The project provided training, technical support and supervision as well as monitoring and evaluation support to community health structures. More people are testing for HIV, and those who have the virus are able to access suitable drugs.

Immunisation is offered against measles, polio, tuberculosis (TB), whooping cough, hepatitis B, tetanus and diphtheria. BCG vaccination levels are at 100 per cent, measles, polio and DPT3 are all at 80 per cent and above.

The success of the vaccination programme can be attributed to the outreach work of community vaccinators who take immunisation services directly to people's homes.

School management and governance committees are in place in all 15 schools in Katine. Parent/teacher associations (PTAs) and school management committees (SMCs) were inactive at project start-up. Each school in Katine now has a development plan, and PTAs and SMCs meet regularly to follow up their implementation and assess progress being made to improve performance and facilities in schools.

Enrolment has increased by 29 per cent since the project started. More girls are now enrolling in school and, for the first time, in 2009-10 and 2011 the number of girls exceeded the number of boys.

The five Katine primary schools – typically thatched–roofed open rooms with earth floors and without furniture – were funded wholly by the local community. Teachers' salaries were paid by the community. But, thanks to the project, all are now under the control of the government.

Achievements in water and sanitation are outstanding. There is a major increase in the availability of safe water sources (boreholes, shallow wells and rainwater harvesting), from 42% to 93% of the community. The number of latrines in homes and schools has increased from 350 to 4,077. Of extreme importance is the re–establishment of water source committees (WSCs), which ensure the successful operation and management of the new water facilities.

Each village within the Katine sub-county now has a farmers' group to improve practices, such as introducing new varieties and increasing crop yields. Groundnut seeds, upland rice, vegetable seeds, sunflower seed and cassava planting material were provided during each year of the programme.

To strengthen the ability of rural institutions to access advisory services and markets for their produce, a co-operative was launched to co-ordinate farmers' groups, manage the produce store, support the groups in marketing activities, oversee the animal health service provision and assess the quality of farm produce. A farmers' produce store was fully established in August 2011, employing two staff.

The voluntary savings and loans associations (VSLA) programme, funded with a separate grant by Barclays Bank, is a rapidly expanding, highly systematic approach to saving and financial planning. Most of the 152 known VSLA groups in Katine are now well established, and there is now a small cadre of village agents who, having completed two cycles of savings themselves, help groups set up both in Katine and in surrounding sub–counties. The VSLAs have led to modest but significant improvement in household income.

There were several recommendations arising from evaluation, including the need for an improved plan for monitoring and evaluation at the start of any project and a recommendation for a review of the VSLA groups.